worthen



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. E. WORTHEN, OF NEW" YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED METALLIC STREET CURB AND GUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,973, dated May 10, 18 59.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. VVORTHEN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Metallic Compound Curb and Gutter, and that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my compound curb and gutter as applied in place between a foot pavement and carriage way. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same and Fig. 3 is'a cross section.

My invention is applicable to pavements of all descriptions where there is a raised walk for foot passengers, and is shown in the drawings as applied in connection with side walk and carriageway composed of iron gratings a a a into the orifices of which are inserted wooden blocks 6 b b.

The compound curb and gutter is represented at. f 0 g and is of peculiar shape and intended to unite several advantages as hereafter specified. It may be formed of any proper metal, cast iron by preference, and its shape must be substantially as follows: Commencing at a point at the level of the side walk or nearly so at or about the letter 7 it must descend and as it descends curve inward under the side walk and then descend below the level of the carriage way; it must then rise again up to the level of the carriage way or nearly so and extend out so far from the side walk that the fellies of wheels, which run close to theside Walk or touch it, may through their tires rest upon .the prolongation of the gutter at or about the point g. By constructing a curb and gutter of such shape the following advan tages are obtained. First, the gutter practically takes up no room as it is entirely under the side walk leaving the whole street free from curb to curb for the passage of vehicles. Second, the gutter can be readily cleaned as it has an opening its whole length as at d. Third, by the use of it sewers may to a great extent be dispensed With as the gutter can be placed far enough under the side walk and deep enough below the carriage way to carry off water that falls upon the surface of the street, and fourth the compound curb and gutter will protect the foot pavement and not be liable to upsetting from the blow of wheels of heavily loaded vehicles; as wheels which strike the curb and tend to upset it will rest upon the gutter and by their own Weight tend to support or hold the curb in an upright position, and finally the ordinary joints between curb and gutter, or side walk and gutter if the side pavement forms its own curb is dispensed with, and such joint always serves to collect and retain foul matter and allows water to get under the pavement, which is a cause of its deterioration and also an injury to the vaults and vault walls under the side walk.

The precise shape, capacity, form of curves and size of this compound curb and gutter are unimportant provided all be such as to attain the ends proposed, viz: a gutter under the side Walk, a curb to protect that walk, and suflicient projection from the curb portion, (or a plane passing down over the exposed surface of the curb) to receive the tires of wheels Whose fellies would strike and tend to upset the curb.

Having thus described my invention I claim as of my own invention The compound metallic curb and gutter constructed substantially in the manner hereinbefore specified whereby advantages substantially such as are herein set forth are attained.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the city of New York on this 16th day of March A. D. 1858.

V. E. VORTHEN.

In presence of- BIRDSALL ALTHAUsn,

A. L. W. Prom. 

